Spark-plug.



R. SUTTON. SPARK PLUG.

APPU'CATION FILED JAN. 25, 1918- 1,298,821 Patented Apr. '1, 1919-.

WITN ESSES ATTOR N EY nal diametric section of a spark plug emorn on.

JACOB REY'MER SUTTON, OF UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPARK-PLUG.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAooB TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Spark-Plug, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to spark plugs, especially adapted to explosion enginessuch as are used on automobiles, but applicable to other explosion engines, and its object is to provide a spark plug with terminals, of which one is movable under the action of the current to provide a spark gap at which the spark is produced by the current.

The invention comprises a spark plug structure so arranged as to fit the standard spark plug opening of an engine, and the structure includes an electromagnet of the solenoid type having a core constituting one of the sparking terminals and surrounding and insulated from a central-fixed terminal, the arrangement being such that the action is vigorous and positive, the deposition of carbon on the terminals to the extent of short-'circuiting them being entirely eliminated, and the structure making it possible to render the spark plug wholly proof against the action of water or oil to an extent to afiect the proper working of the spark plug.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that, while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing ofthe drawings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, the figure is a longitudibodying the invention, but drawn on a somewhat enlarged scale. 1

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a screw threaded plug member 1, which may be considered as of standard size, to fit a correspondingly threaded passage 2 through a wall 3 representing-that wall of an ex- .plosion enginewherespark plugs are ap- Specification of Letters Patent.

REYMER SUT- Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed January 25, 1918. SeriaLNo. 213,722. V

plied. The end of the plugmember 1 remote from the screw threaded end is formed with a, socket 4 which externally may be hexagonal, as iscustomary in spark plugs, for the application of a wrench or other tool, whereby the spark plug may be screwed into the engine wall or removed therefrom.

Threaded into the socket 4 is one end of a tube 5 having an exteriorly enlarged portion 6 abutting against the end of the plug member 1, and providing a shoulder 7 spaced from the socket a of the plug member 1.' The tube 5 has an extension 8 beyond the shoulder 7 constituting a sleeve carrying a solenoid coil 9, which is wound in accordance with the current to be used in connection with the spark plug, whether that currentbe furnished by a battery, as is the case with certain automobiles, or by a magneto, as is the case with other types of automobiles. The coil 9 is provided with heads 10 and 11 respectively, and with a sheathing 12, the heads 10 and 11 being customarily of insulating material, and the sheathing 12 being usually of insulating materilal of a character to be protective of the col That end of the sleeve 8 remote from the shoulder 7 is internally screw threaded, and is entered by an exteriorly threaded extension 13 of a plug 14 of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material, this plug serving to clamp the coil 9 against the shoulder 7.

Axially through the plug 14 and its extension 13 is a bore 15 having an enlarged or countersunk portion 16 at the outer end of the plug, this countersunk portion being internally threaded for the reception of another screw plug 17 of conducting material such as brass or the like. At the exposed end of the plug 17 is an axial threaded tached a lead 23 coming from the source of current employed through a suitable timer, which source of current and timer are not shown in the drawing, since they may be of ordinary construction and such as are found on automobiles.

Threaded into or otherwise secured to the block 17 is one end of a rod 24: of a length to extend through and somewhat beyond the threaded end 2 of the plug member l, the rod terminating in an angu-larly bent extremity 25, and constituting one of the sparking terminals of the spark plug.

Surrounding the rod 24 is a sleeve 26 of insulating material of a refractory nature, such, for instance, as asbestos. Between the sleeve 26 and the inner wall of the tubular member 5, and extending through the plug member 1, is a tubular solenoid core or armature 27 of magnetic material fitting about the sleeve 26 and within the tube 5 and plug member 1 so as to move snugly yet freely therealong. The core or armature 27 has one end always within the coil or winding 9, but in spaced relation to the plug 14, and between the armature 27 and end 13 of the plug 14: there is interposed a spring 28 having a normal tendency to move the core into contact with the terminal 25, said core, where adj acent to the terminal 25, constitutirig the other sparking terminal of the spark p ug.

When current passes through the coil or winding 9, the core 27 is attracted into the coil against the action of the spring 28, and consequently, the sparking end of the core is drawn away from the sparking terminal 25, thereby producing a spark gap across which the current passes in the form of a spark augmented by the inductive effect of the winding 9. This results in a far more vigorous or lively spark than is usually produced at the sparking terminalsof a spark plug, wherefore ignition is insured under conditions where ordinary spark plugs fail.

The constant separation and approach of the sparking-terminals while the engine'is in operation wholly prevent accumulations of carbon and short-circuiting of the spark plug terminals. Experience has shown that water and oil have no harmful effects upon the-action of the spark plug. It is unnecessary to use porcelain or other similar friable insulating materials, and consequently, the spark plug is sturdy and will readily withstand conditions fatal to other types of spark plugs. The spark plug'has a durability under severe working conditions which will make it outlast the engine.

The enlarged portion 6 of the tubular member 5 is provided to space the winding 9 far enough away from the socket 4: to permit the application of a wrench or other turning tool to the spark plug member 1. Where such spacing is not necessary, the enlarged portion 6 may be omitted.

What is claimed is:

1. A'spark plug having substantially concentric spark terminals, with the inner terminal fixed to the spark plug and the outer terminal movablealong and insulated from the inner terminal, and a solenoid on the spark plug electrically connected to one of the terminals, with the outer spark terminal entering the solenoid and constituting the core or armature thereof.

2. A spark plug comprising a fixed spark terminal,another spark terminal surrounding the fixed terminal and movable'there=' along, insulating --material interposed between the fixed and movable spark terminals and carried by the fixed terminal, and a solenoid in fixed relation to and traversed by the fi'xed terminal, the other terminale'ntering the solenoid and constituting the core or armaturethereof. v p i 3. A spark plug comprising a fixed'terminal in the form of a rod with "a Sparking extremity, insulating material surrounding the rod, a tubular member surrounding-the insulating material and movable therealong and having one end adjacent to the spark ing extremity of the rod to "constitute the other sparking terminal of the spark plug, and a solenoid coil traversed by the rod and entered by the tubular member, with'the latter constituting the core or armature of the solenoid.

4L. Asp ark plug comprising a threaded member constituting the carrying-member of the spark plug, a sleeve extending axially from the-threaded member, a solenoid coil or winding on the sleeve, an'insulatingplug for the end of the sleeve remote from the carryingmember, a rod carried'by the plug and extending through the sleeve and thread'- ed member beyond the threaded-end of the latter and there formed into a sparking "terminal, insulating material about the rod, a tuba;- lar member within the threaded member and sleeve and surrounding the insulatingmatd rial, said tubular member being s-lidable lengthwise of the parts inclosing' it and of the insulating material it surrounds, and also constituting a sparking terminal adjacent to the first-named sparking-terminal, with the other endof'the tubular member extending into the solenoid coil and consututing the core or armature thereof, and a spring between the tubular member and the insulating plug.

5. A spark plug comprising a threaded carrying member, a sleeve constituting a prolongation of the threaded member and its rial and within the sleeve and threaded In testimony that I claim the foregoing as member and movable lengthwise with remy own, I have hereto aflixed my signature spect thereto, said tubular member entering in the presence of two witnesses.

the solenoid coil and constituting the core JACOB REYMER SUTTON. or armature thereof. and a spring inter- Witnesses:

posed between the tubular member and the W. RUSSELL CARR,

plug. HELEN M. WHALEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

